Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-07-23

bAOurdfiil ear 10 tOfllD Dttk Ukttlll ~
she did for me- Ihad rather die when my
hour comes-and should fancy that it isn't FAR
off either-and go my ways TO look for her.
Do you go in, ii you like
But merely shook my head my excitement
was as dead as ditch water, and my distaste
for the prolOngation Of my mortal span had
come back upon mo more strongly than ever
Besides, we neither OF us knew what the ef
fects of the fire might be. The result upon
She had not been OF an encouraging nature,
and OF the exact causes that produced that
result we were of course, ignorant.
swell, my boy" said, 1--WE can't stop here
till we so the way of those two" and
pointed to the little heap under the white gar
ment and to the stiffening corpse Of poor Job.
IF we are going we had better go. But, by
the way, l expect that the lamps have burned
out" and took one up and looked at it, and
sure enough it had.
There IL some moro oil in the vase" said
Leo, indifferently, "if it is not broken, at
leastn
examined the vessel in question-it was
intact. With trembling hand / filled the
lamps--luckily there was still some Of the
linen wick unburned. Then l lit them with
one Of our wax matches While did so we
heard the pillar Of fire approaching once
more as it went on its never ending Journey
If, indeed, 1t was the same pillar that passed
and repassed ina circle.
Lets see it come once more,n said Leo:
1--WE shall never look upon its like again in this
world.n
1t seemed a bit of idle curiosity, but some
how shared it, and so we waited till, turn
ing slowly round upon its own axis, it had
famed and Numbered by; and / remember
wondering for how many thousands OF years
this same phenomenon had been taking place
in the bowels OF the earth, and for how many
more thousands 1t would continue to take
place. wondered also II any mortal eyes
would ever again mark its passage, or any
mortal ears be thrilled and fascinated by the
swelling volume Of its majestic sound. do
not think that they will / believe that we
are the last human beings who will over SOC
that unearthly sight. Presently it had gone,
and we, too, turned to go.
But before we did SO we each took Jobs
cold hand in ours and shook it. It was q
rather CHASTITY ceremony, but 1t was the only
means in our power of showing our respect
TO the faithful dead and Of celebrating his
obsequies The heap beneath the white gar
ment we did not uncover. We had no wish
| to look upon that terrible sight again. But
we went to the pAe Of ripping hair that had
| fallen from her in the agony of the hideou'
| change which was worse than Thousand
natural deaths, and each Of US drew from it Q
shining lock, and these locks we still have
the sole memento that is left to us of Ayesha
| as we knew her In the fullness OF her grace
and glory. Leo pressed the perfumed hair K
his lips
"She called to me not to forget her." HI
said, hoarsely-"and swore that we shout
meet again. By heavenl never will forgs
her. Here swear that, If we live to get on
OF this, will not for all my days have any
thing to say to another living woman, ant
that wherever l go l viii wait for her a
faithfully as she waited for me-"
| "fes," thought to myself, "if she come
back beautiful as we knew her. But suppos
ing she came back like thatl"
Well, and then we went We went, ant
left those two in the presence Of the very vel
and spring Of life, but gathered to the col,
company of death. How lonely they locke
as they lay there, and how ii assorted Tha
little heap had been for AGO years the wisest
loveliest, proudest creatur IL can hardly cal
her woman-in the who'll universe She ha,
been wicked, too, in her way; but, alas suc
IL the frailty OF the human heart, her wicked
ness had not detracted from her charm
Indeed, am by no means certain that it di
| not add to 1t. It was, after all, OF gram
order; there was nothing mean or small abou
Ayesha.
And poor Job, tool His presentiment ha,
come true, and there was an end of him
Well, he had a strange burial place-no Nor
hlliu ever nttu u Or over Will
and it Is something to lie In the same sepulche
with the poor remains of the imperial She.
We looked our last upon them and the indie
scribable rosy glow In which they lay. an
then with hearts far too heavy for words W
left them and crept thence broken down me-
so broken down that we even renowned til
chance OF practically immortal life, becaus
all that made life valuable had gone from us
and we knew even then that to prolong on
1ux- Nk
sufferings. For we felt-yes, both of us
that having once looked Ayesha in the eye
we could not forget her forever and eve
while memory and identity remained. w
both loved her now and for always; she wa
stamped and carven on our hearts, and IL
other woman could ever erase that splendi
die, And There lies the sting-l had an
have no right to think thus of her. As sh
told me, was naught to her, and never shal
unless, indeed, conditions alter and da,
comes at last when two men may love Oh
woman and all three be happy in the fact.
is the only hope Of my broken heartedness
and o rather faint one. Beyond it hav
nothing. have paid down this heavy price
all that am worth here and hereafter, am
thGt is my sole reward. With Leo it is differ
emit, and often and often bitterly envy Lin
his happy lot, for if She was right, and be
NlSuOfn anu knowledge ulu NOT Iall her at IN
last, which arguing from the precedent of he
own case think unlikely, he has some futur
tn look forward to. But | have none, an
yet-fnarR the folly and the weakness of tn
iuman Ecart, and let him who is wise lear
wisdom from it--yet l would not have
otherwise. mean that am content to Civ
what have given and must always give, an
take in payment those crumbs that fall fror
my mistress table, the memory of few kin
words, the hope one day in the far undreame
future of sweet smile or two Of recognition
and little show of thanks fer my deyotio
to her-and Leo.
If that does not constitute true love d
not know what does, and all have to say
that it is very bad state Of mind for ma
on the wrong side of middle age to fall into